Hush Little Baby
by SuGaRnSpIcE4222
Summary: She was the daughter they often thought of, but rarely spoke about. Once a year they'd do her birthday... and usually, she wasn't there. Until now. With the return of their 18 year old daughter, Faith, Bo and Hope want some answers.
1. Birthday Cake

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in days of our lives, except for the ones I make up on my own. I am not in any way affiliated with the show. I wish I was though. _

_Note: This chapter is short, I know, but the rest will have more meat to them. This was just an introductory chapter. Please read and review! Thanks!_

Chapter One

Hope looked at the calendar; _February 2, 2008_. She sighed, rubbing her hands on her face. She looked over at Bo, solemnly, lowering her head gently. Today would have been their daughter's 18th birthday; they would celebrate, either way, but it wouldn't be the same. It had never been the same, not since she was three, not since she had been kidnapped. They'd been sure they could find her; after all, Salem was a small town and everyone knew everyone. There was no place to hide a toddler; but the kidnappers had gotten away, and their daughter had never been seen again.

"Happy Birthday, Faith" Hope whispered, running her hand along the dusty antique picture frame that held her daughter's last photo.

Bo looked at his wife, trying not to look too concerned; he too, was sad, but he had long since faced that she would never come back. He set his hand on his wife's shoulder and turned her chin gently towards him. "Why don't we go out tonight to eat instead of staying inside? We can take Ciarra to the park or something and I'll pick us up something to eat from the Pub."

Hope shook her head; no, today's birthday, though the most special in the Brady clan, would be just like any other usual birthday. Although there would be no party and presents, Hope would still cook, and the Brady's would still gather around a candle lit birthday cake, and sing Happy Birthday to the child they once loved.

"Come on, Fancy Face. We can't keep doing this. She isn't coming home"

"That doesn't mean she never existed" Hope whispered venomously; she would never stop these birthday rituals in her daughter's honor; and she would never admit that these birthday rituals, done once a year, were what kept her going the rest of the 364 days remaining out of the year.

"Alright" Bo sighed, defeated. "You win. Give me a list and I'll go out and get what we need"

Hope smiled and handed him the list she'd already filled out earlier that morning.

--

Bo had always hated grocery shopping; ever since he was little. He always seemed to buy the wrong things. First his mother had yelled at him, in good nature, of course, and then, as he got older, Hope would scold him for not sticking to the list. He couldn't help it, though; he was a man, and men liked food. He grabbed what he liked off the shelves, completely disregarding the list until the end; he looked down at the list with watery eyes- he didn't want to pick out the birthday cake- he didn't want to forget his daughter, but he wanted to move on. It hurt him, every year, buying a cake with her name on it, singing a song for her, all of which she would never even get to experience. She was dead, there was no other explanation. Why couldn't they just let her rest in peace?

He went over to the bakery, grabbed any old cake, and tossed it in the basket. There, the task was done. He could move on. He sighed as he looked down at the cake; it wasn't even their daughter's favorite flavor, or her favorite color. He picked the cake up, put it back on the shelf, and this time, with more consideration, picked one out he was sure she would have liked, and had the baker write her name on it. _Happy 18__th__, Faith!_

Bo looked over the cake and smiled; "Happy Birthday, Sweetheart" He whispered to himself, finally content. He walked up and paid the cashier for their groceries, and his daughter's birthday cake.

---


	2. Do I know you?

_Disclaimer: I'm not in any way affiliated with DAYS. If I was, I'd be rich. But sadly, still poor; please don't sue! _

_Note: I hope this chapter is just as good as the first, if not better. Please read and review; I love reviews, they only make a writer stronger. ) _

Chapter Two

Bo rolled over, draping his arm around Hope as he usually did when the sun came up at 7 am and shined through the window on his side of the room. Opening one eye, he caught a glimpse of the red numbers flashing on the alarm clock; '_7:15_'- fifteen minutes to spare before it's incessant beeping threw him out of his peaceful state of relaxation and sleep. He closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to get up for work. But if he did, he knew he could get up, shut off the alarm before his wife awoke, and surprise her with breakfast in bed.

"Boy do I love you" He mumbled to himself, throwing both legs off the side of the bed and gently lifting the covers off of himself before standing up. He made his way to the nursery and poked his head in; Ciarra was sitting up wearing a bright smile, ready to face the day.

"Well hello little fancy face" He grinned at first and then frowned; '_little fancy face'_- he could remember a time when he called another little girl by that same name. Only if she were alive, she wouldn't be so little anymore, and he was sure she wouldn't appreciate the name. He lifted the baby out of the crib and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"You can't go back to sleep, daddy has to make breakfast for mommy this morning" Bo told the tired child. The day after their daughter's birthday was always the hardest for Hope; every year his wife half expected their smiling three year old to turn the corner, and every year she was disappointed when she didn't. _'Would we even recognize her if she did?'_ Bo thought back to a conversation he'd had with Hope on the night of Faith's 17th birthday, just after everybody had left. _'She's my daughter; I carried her under my heart for 9 months; I'd recognize her from a million miles away. She's out there, some where, just waiting to be found. I can feel it'_ Hope had never been as able to accept the fact that their daughter was probably dead; not like he did. Or at least he thought he accepted it.

--

"Bo?" Hope walked down the stairs in a purple sweater and a pair of blue jeans that fit her curves very well.

"I made you breakfast" Bo smiled slightly. "Or, at least I tried" He ashamedly laid the plate with her burnt toast and watery eggs on the table in front of her, hiding the burnt burner cover to the stove behind his back.

Hope threw her head back in laughter; the kind of laugh Bo enjoyed most from his wife. "Let's see what's behind door number two, Brady," she said, reaching behind him and taking the burner cover. She frowned half heartedly, trying to play off disappointment.

"I thought it was for the pan" He shrugged, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Why don't I stick to the cooking?" Hope looked at him, and even Ciarra cooed her seconds at that motion.

"Deal" Bo looked at the clock. "I've gotta' run. I have to be down at the station. Meet me for lunch?"

"Of course" Hope pecked him on the lips, and then picked up the trashed breakfast, chucking it in the garbage disposal.

"Great, see you around 1 then" Bo picked up his badge and coat, kissed the baby, and walked out.

---

"Me and you are going to be late for lunch with daddy if we don't stop going in and out of these stores, Ciarra" Hope joked. She loved window shopping with her daughter, even if the baby couldn't give her input on what was in and what was out. She looked behind her, startled at the sight; a young girl, maybe 18 or 19 stood five-feet away; she had seen the girl before, three stores back. The girl had followed her into the antique shop, then into the beauty salon and now here. She couldn't help but wonder who the girl was, but shook it off when the girl had seemed to stop at a payphone and paid no attention to her and Ciarra whatsoever.

"Come on, lets get to Daddy" Hope rocked the baby gently in her arms, aware of the child's impending lunch time as Ciarra nibbled gently on her fingers.

---

"So how has your day been so far?" Bo asked as he snaked his arm around his wife's shoulder.

"Okay I guess. Ciarra and I did a little shopping"

"A little?" Bo cocked his eyebrow upward; there was no such thing as a _little_ shopping when it came to his wife.

"Okay, maybe a little more than a little, but I wouldn't count it as a lot." Hope turned to toss the cup from which she'd been drinking her smoothie into the garbage, and was stunned to see the same young woman behind her.

"You know, I think we're being followed" Hope whispered into her husband's ear.

"What do you mean?" Bo narrowed his eyebrows protectively.

"That girl; she's been following me and Ciarra around all day; I saw her come into a few shops behind us, and even when we were on our way to see you. I shook it off earlier because she'd stopped at a pay phone and didn't seem to pay any attention to me or Ciarra, but now here she is again" Hope folded her arms protectively around her daughter; who was this young woman? What did she want with her family?

Unlike Hope, Bo did not think before he took action; he turned around and called out to the young woman. "Who are you? Why have you been following us?" He demanded. The young girl stopped and started to reply, but suddenly she stopped. It was as if her lips were moving but her mouth was not; no sound emitted itself through her throat, and though she looked healthy, she apparently was not as she tumbled to the ground in a faint. Bo called for an ambulance, but she was not going to escape him and his wife that easily. They followed to ambulance to the hospital, and waited outside her room for her to wake up.

---

The sun blinked through her eyes as she slowly lifted her head and body, connected to what seemed like a million little wires all hooked up to one machine. "Where… Where am I?" She began, turning her head to the right expecting to see a nurse. She was startled when she saw who was really there.

"Who are you? Please… just tell me" Hope spoke first, unafraid now of the frail young woman.

"My name is Faith" The young girl whispered, barely audible.

"Faith what?" Bo insisted upon her last name.

"I…I umm" The girl stumbled for her words, and Bo and Hope simply thought she was confused.

"Is there anyone we can call for you? Who are your parents?" Hope didn't like this girl; she didn't like being followed, but she felt bad for the child.

"You are" Faith blurted out.

"Excuse me?!" Hope was taken aback but the sudden outburst.

"My name is Faith Lynn Brady, and you are my parents" She turned so as not to face them; how could a daughter have known who her parents were her entire life and left them to believe she was dead? But she really hadn't seen any other way growing up; until just recently.

"Is this some sort of sick joke?!" Bo pulled Hope back, dying to lunge toward her.

"I'm sorry… but no, this isn't" Bo noticed for the first time that the girl spoke in a proper, thick Irish accent. Her eyes, though clearly exhausted, resembled his wife's, even though he hated to think that this girl sitting before them could really be his daughter.

"If you are who you say you are, then when have you been for 15 years?"

"Colleen…" She whispered before her eyes forced themselves shut again.


	3. Why, after all this time?

_Disclaimer: I still don't own DAYS and I'm still not affiliated with them; no matter how hard I try they just won't let me on the set! _

_Note: Thank you guys for your reviews; believe it or not, they actually make me want to keep going. You're awesome. _

Chapter Three

"You know I can't do that" Kayla insisted; why did her brother have to be so damn persistent!

Bo looked from his sister to the young woman lying asleep in the hospital bed to his right, then back to Kayla. "She'll never even know. Come on."

"Bo, it's illegal; I need her consent and you know it"

Bo, as an officer of the law, did know that Kayla needed Faith's permission to do a DNA test; but they couldn't wait. He had to know if this girl was telling the truth. "Just come on; if the tests come out positive, then it won't have mattered that you didn't have her consent, anyways."

"And what if they come out negative?" Kayla threw out the opposing view.

"They won't" Hope interrupted; she refused to believe anything short of her finding her long lost daughter.

"Come on, Kay; she won't even know. I mean, didn't you take blood when we first brought her in here anyways?"

"Of course I did" Kayla defended. How else would she find out what was wrong with a seemingly healthy young girl who mysteriously passes out on the side walks of Salem.

"Okay then; just run our DNA against that and we'll have our answer" Bo shrugged as if it were as simple as one, two, and three; and to be honest, it was, but it was still illegal and Kayla could still lose her license for it.

She sighed and rolled her eyes at her brother, then looked up at him. "Okay" She agreed, "Alright but lets get this done quickly; while she's still asleep." She said, pulling out two tests swabs and edging closer to her brother and sister-in-law.

---

Waiting; **to wait: Remaining inactive in one place while expecting something**; that was always the hardest part in situations like these; Bo sat idly by in the chair next to the girl's bed, listening to the _tick toc_ of the clock, waiting impatiently for the results of the DNA test. He inhaled deeply, and then looked over at his wife. Her hands shook like mad and he could see she was deep in thought; she, like he was, probably reminded of all the waiting they did 15 years prior. Their waiting had never paid off; their daughter was not returned.

Kayla slowly walked in, interrupting the silence of the room. "Well, the results are in" She said cautiously.

"And? What did you find?" Hope stood at eye-level, impatiently grabbing at the file, which Kayla pulled back over her shoulder.

"The results are positive," Kayla began, "she is who she says she is; although I don't know how that is possible, she is your daughter. She is Faith" Kayla finished with certainty. "There's more, but she needs to tell you herself"

"What if she doesn't know" Bo stood as well, panic evident to the untrained eye.

"Trust me; with this sort of advancement, there is no way she knows" Kayla walked out, having already said too much.

Tears streamed down Hope's face and her stomach tightened with anxiety; she hugged her husband, softly at first, then stronger as her grip tightened and the tears came at a more rapid pace. Bo rubbed small circles on his wife's back; he wanted to cry too, he was so thrilled, but he had to be the strong one. And then another part of his mind got wary; if Faith had known who and where they were, why had she not come home sooner? He sat down, hoping she'd soon wake up, and hoping she was not another ploy of the Dimeras.

---

It was early evening when Faith opened her eyes next; she heard crickets outside her window, and the sweet smell of tea struck her nose from that night's delivered dinner. She looked to her left; Hope sat in the uncomfortable looking chair with her head lying by her feet; Faith wiggled her toes, gently, so as to shake her mother awake.

Bo noticed the girl lying in the bed; she'd finally woken up and he could finally get the answers he and his wife deserved.

Hope looked at her husband; she knew him entirely too well, and her eyes pleaded with him to be gentle. This girl was still their daughter, no matter who sent her or why she was there.

----

"So" Bo began carefully; he didn't want to say anything to make the young girl feel uncomfortable. "Where do you live?"

"In Ireland with mi Aunt Colleen" Faith replied; her accent was rich and thick, and Bo could see the resemblance to his father's.

"We all thought she was dead; the letters"- Hope started to explain, but Faith put her hand up.

"I have seen the letters" She started, "Aunt Colleen is very much alive. In her letter she said she had to make it seem like she threw herself off the cliff; she ran away instead; she had done… well she had done sinful things and she needed to leave. Santo had a wife, and he vowed to his wife to be there for her until death do them part. Colleen could not come between that" Faith explained, then looked up at them. "I will let mi aunt explain everything to ye in her own time, though" Faith knew she could do Colleen no justice; and it was not her place. Colleen had to tell her own stories of the letters and her own version of the truth.

"Were you treated right?" Hope hated think otherwise.

"I was treated like one of her own; I always had everything I needed; foods, clothes, education, love" Faith put an emphasis on love. It was the most important part of growing up in any child's life, and her parents would recognize that.

"That's good" Hope nodded; she couldn't deny being thankful that her daughter had never suffered, although she and her husband had.

"When we asked you who you were, you knew you were our missing daughter, Faith. How?" Bo brought up the question on everyone's minds.

"Aunt Colleen told me who mi parents were when I was old enough to understand. I've always been free to come home."

"So why didn't you? If you knew you were alive and you knew we were suffering without you, why not come home?"

"I was a just a lad; Ireland was, and still is, mi home. I was happy with mi Aunt Colleen; I knew no other ways. I had friends and I loved school. I could never have given up all of that to come here to America and be with mi American family."

"You belonged with us; you're our daughter, not hers."

"And I will always be yer daughter. Time and distance could not change that. And besides, Aunt Colleen had been sending pictures by the dozens. I was sure ye knew I was safe and sound. Didn't you ever get them?"

"No" Hope spoke softly, her head hung low. Had they gotten any of the pictures, perhaps they could have gotten a part of their lives back they never thought would exist again.

"Well I'm sorry" Faith took hold of Hope's hand and gently squeezed. She had never meant to cause any pain.

"You don't have to apologize. None of this is your fault" Hope's eyes widened in alarm; she didn't want to make her think that her own kidnapping had been her fault.

"Why did Colleen take you?" Bo wondered if she knew more than she was telling them.

"Stefano" She said simply.

"What about him?"

"He's an evil man" Fire shined bright through the young girl's normally serene green eyes.

"We know he is. What did he have to do with your kidnapping, though?"

"Aunt Colleen had said she'd seen how dangerous he'd gotten. Your daughter Georgia had already been passed off as stillborn; Samantha was to be next on his list, but she was already vicious in her own ways and could take care of herself. With Carrie Brady with her mother and out of the picture, I was the next Brady granddaughter and the next target of Stefano Dimera. Aunt Colleen said she couldn't let another Brady child suffer, so while I was shopping with mi mother one day, she grabbed me. It wasn't supposed to be such a life long ting, but she was lonely and had no kin of her own. We connected, and she kept me."

"Without so much thinking to how your parents would feel?" Bo's hands clenched with his anger, but he tried to hide it; he couldn't let this girl, his daughter, sense his anger or she might clam up. _There's more, but she needs to tell you herself_. Bo thought back to Kayla's words, and wondered again what she'd meant.

"You know my sister is your doctor" Bo threw out, hoping maybe she'd give way to her secret.

Faith simply nodded. "Yes, I am aware of that." Faith was no novice; she knew very well that these two, her parents, had been through too much pain to simply accept her as their daughter without so much as a DNA test. She figured they'd had one done while she was asleep, but decided against bringing it up. Had they done a DNA test, Kayla would have discovered the secret that Faith and Colleen had been hiding for some time now.

"Lets cut to the chase; why now? Why after all these years?" Bo didn't mean to sound so cold hearted, but it wasn't his nature to be calm and gentle; especially when it came to his family being hurt along the way.

"I'm sick," She began, "and you two are mi last hope at staying alive"

"What is it we can help you with?" Hope would have done anything to keep her daughter alive and well; she couldn't bear the thought of losing her again.

"Your blood" Faith replied without another word.


	4. Did you say my Blood?

_Thank you guys for reviewing the story! I was surprised by the turnout, actually. I'm sorry it's taken so long to update; it's senior year, and drawing to an end, and things have just been craazzyyy for the last like month with school and physical therapy lol. If anyone is still reading, enjoy. I will keep updating as long as I know at least one person is reading. Again, thanks for all the reviews. And I hope you like where I'm taking this!_

_To answer a couple of questions, no, Faith is not in place of Zack. She is his older sister; he is still dead. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own days and I probably never will unless my family comes into lots of money and can buy Corday Productions; but seeing as I'm going to college out of state, I shall stay poor. Sigh. Anyways, the only characters that I own are the ones that I make up. Everyone else is property of Corday productions, nbc, and whoever else owns days, haha. _

Chapter Four

Hope looked questionably at her. "My blood?" She repeated aloud, as well s in her head.

"Yes," Faith nodded her head slowly. "I have a rare blood disease. Mi doctors back in Ireland have tried every treatment there is left to try, but the facts remain that the only way I will live is with a blood transfusion. And since mi blood type is so rare…" Faith trailed off.

Kayla stepped in, attempting to explain things to her brother and sister-in-law. "She has type O blood. She can donate to any blood group, but can only receive blood from her type and Rh factor. And she's right; without this transfusion she will die."

Hope looked over at Bo, nodding. Bo swallowed hard; they just found their daughter and without them, she would soon leave again. For good. "We'll do whatever we can"

Faith smiled in gratitude. "Thank ye; Ye won't be sorry"

"Of course we won't sweetie. You're our daughter… we've waited all these years to see you, and we've loved you forever. We won't stop now." Hope ran her slender fingers through her daughter's silky brunette hair. She couldn't help but notice how it matched her own.

"I'll round up the rest of the family so we can get as many people tested as possible." Kayla wrote down a couple of things on her niece's chart and then left the room, closing the thick wooden door behind her.

"So that is mi aunt?" Faith asked, looking after Kayla.

Bo nodded. "That is your Aunt Kayla. You also have an Aunt Kimberly, and an Uncle Roman. Steve is married to Kayla. They have one daughter Ste"- Bo began but was cut off.

"Stephanie." Faith beat him to it. "And Kimberly has Jeannie and Andrew. I have a brother, Shawn, who is married to Isabella; they have a daughter, Claire. I also have a younger brother, Zack, and a younger sister, Ciara"

Hope nodded, looking down at the baby sleeping in her arms. "This is Ciara." She smiled. "How do you know all of these things?"

Faith smiled through her wariness. "Oh mi dear mother, I know a lot of the family here in Salem. Aunt Colleen and I like to keep updated on everyone every now and then. She likes to know how her family is doing, and truth be told, so do I."

Hope smiled. "You're a pretty amazing kid, you know."

Faith nodded. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from ye."

"Since you seem to know so much about the family," Bo began, treading dangerous waters carefully, "would you happen to know what happened to your niece, Claire? She disappeared recently and we've all gone crazy trying to find her."

Faith sighed; she felt bad for them. They needed information and were so willing to help her, that she could not withstand their requests. "Claire is safe and sound back in Ireland with Aunt Colleen. She thinks she is just on a vacation."

"Why would you guys do that? Take an innocent child from her parents like that? I mean you seem nice enough" Bo fumed; had Colleen pressed her dark habits on his daughter so soon in life?

"Claire was in great danger of Stefano Dimera. The only true way to keep her safe was to take her in hiding, just like us"

"What are you hiding from?" Hope furrowed her eyebrows. Shawn walked into the room, overhearing the conversation.

"You know where my daughter is?!" He exclaimed hot-headedly. Faith nodded.

"Yes, and I promise to return her to you at once."

"Who the hell are you?!" Shawn moved towards the bed, ready to strangle the fragile young woman laying on it.

"I am Faith Lynn Brady, your sister" She eyed him coolly, standing her ground defensively.

Shawn stopped, looking at his parents. They nodded; a symbol that she'd been checked out. "Why do you have my daughter?" He licked his lips nervously.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted by ye, Claire is safe in Ireland. Stefano Dimera had planned to take her and brainwash her. He wanted to raise her Dimera and all Dimera. Aunt Colleen caught wind of his plan and…well Aunt Colleen is not one to take things sitting down, so to speak."

"Would we ever have seen her again if you didn't need anything from us?" Bo asked in anger.

"Of course you would have!" Faith's thick Irish accent ran thick through her lips as anger seethed in her. "We're not cold hearted people, ye know!"

"Everybody just calm down" Hope stood, trying to smooth things over. She wanted answers just as much as everyone else, but she also couldn't bear the thought of her daughter leaving and never seeing her again.

Bo sighed and took his wife's hands. "You're right, Fancy Face. Why don't you and I step out here with Shawn and calm down for a bit? It'll give Faith a chance to rest." Hope nodded and the family stepped just outside the door.

---

At three p.m. the next day the entire Brady clan gathered to be tested for the newest and yet, oldest addition to their family.

Kayla got tested first, and then Steve and Stephanie. Caroline followed after, and surprisingly Victor and Philip showed up to be tested. Bo and Hope, who had already been tested the night before, watched proudly as their family each got tested, one member at a time. While the other members were being tested, Bo and Hope pulled Kayla aside.

"What is it?" Kayla asked in her usual concerned manner.

"What is it that caused this disease?" Hope asked, flat out. She would not make her way to the question, she just wanted to know. "And could this affect our other children? Should Shawn and Ciara get tested for this?"

Kayla sighed; she couldn't reveal the information to them. She wasn't supposed to, it was against all ethics. "You know I can't tell you anything except you have no reason to worry about the other children."

"Come on, sis…. I need to know what's really wrong with my daughter and why" Bo's eyes looked pleadingly into hers; Kayla could never say no to that look, and Bo absent-mindedly knew it.

"Faith got this disease after giving birth." Kayla sighed and spilled everything she knew.

"Giving birth?!" Hope exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

Kayla nodded. "By the progression of the disease, I'd say around 2 years ago."

"Why didn't she tell us?" Bo's usually warm expression was now cool and stone-like.

Kayla shrugged. "Maybe the baby didn't make it"

"Or maybe she doesn't plan on keeping us in her life." Bo stated flatly.

"Or maybe," Faith wasn't supposed to be out of bed; she wasn't supposed to hear the conversation. But she had and she had to defend herself. "I gave birth to two beautiful babies, a boy and a girl, and I was trying to wait for the right minute to tell ye all everything."

"Faith." Hope snapped her neck around and saw her daughter. "You shouldn't be out of bed."

"That bed is lumpier than a pile of rocks." She whined, determined to stay up.

"Regardless, you should follow doctor's orders." Hope gently took her daughter by the shoulders and led her back to bed. "Your aunt and Doctor Carver are trying everything they can to help you but if you don't listen to them, nothing is going to work, not even this transfusion." Hope sighed and, without realizing it, began to tuck Faith back into bed.

"Your mom's right. You need to stay in bed" Kayla came in, demanding her niece follow doctor's orders. She seemed nice enough, but sure had Bo's stubborn personality.

"I don't want to stay in bed. I want to feel the sun on mi skin. I want to feel the breeze in mi hair. I want… to eat a cheeseburger." Faith eyed the tray of food that had been sitting there since breakfast; the road kill, as she called it, was starting to rot.

"Tell you what, you get better and bring those kids of yours for a visit and you can have all the cheeseburgers you want." Hope promised. Bo watched from the doorway, and for a second was jealous of his wife. She and Faith had taken to one another so well so quickly and he wished for just a second that he could share some of what they already had. Why did he find it so hard letting her in? And why hadn't she tried harder to let herself in?

Faith looked up at her father's dazed expression, and for a second seemed to hear his thoughts. "Dad?" She called, a wide, inviting smiled which reminded him of his own plastered her face.

"I'm right here." He advanced toward her bed, and was surprised when she took his hand in hers. Her skin was smooth, just as he last remembered it. He smiled down; she was so grown up now. "Why didn't you tell us about the babies?" He asked cautiously.

Faith inhaled and let out a small moan. "The culture from Ireland is very different than the one here. In Ireland, having a child at a young age is not as uncommon and frowned upon as it is here. I didn't want to be a disappointment for ye right off. I wanted to, what ye call it; test my waters before I told ye that I am a young mother. I don't want you to hate mi."

"We could never hate you, Faith" Hope assured her. "We understand that your life there must be very different from here, and that what is acceptable there may not always be that here. We would never frown upon you. A child is a blessing, and we believe that no matter what. As long as you're happy and healthy, we're happy. Now, you seem to have the happy part down, so let's concentrate on making you healthy again." Hope flashed her smile and sat beside her daughter, taking her other hand. Bo nodded in agreement with his wife, and watched the door to the room, praying that outside they would find a suitable match for Faith. To be quite honest with himself, he hoped, deep down, that **he** was her donor. If anything it would bring them closer together in spirit.


	5. Bearer of News

_Disclaimer: I STILL don't own Days. I don't know what I'm doing wrong… _

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! They really make me want to keep writing :-) _

The hospital staff worked day in and day out for their slowly dying patient. Over the next couple of weeks, the family found Faith becoming weaker and weaker, and she herself began to doubt her chances of survival. She had one thing to be grateful for though, well, two really; the first was that she had finally met her parents, the second that her Aunt Colleen was not there with her children to watch her die. 

**Acceptance**; it was the hardest stage of a dying person; the angry stage took so long to get over that many dying patients rarely got to experience acceptance. And who would want to? No one wants to lie down and die, and neither did Faith Brady. Several times Kayla or Lexie had walked in to find her flat-lining, or going into cardiac arrest, which, when you got right down to it, was essentially the same thing. Several times she found herself unable to breath, and several times Kayla and Lexie had to perform CPR. Death was quickly impeding on her life, and there was no way to stop it. Finding a match was harder than they'd thought; her blood type was so very rare and for the amount of blood it would take to put her into complete remission…the odds just weren't in her favor. 

"You should try to eat," Kayla walked in, working the night shift on a dreary Wednesday night. It was 1 am and Faith had yet to fall asleep; every time she closed her eyes she opened them back up, afraid if she left them closed too long she would never again wake up. 

"I'm really not very hungry," Faith replied, staring at the window as tiny raindrops splashed one after the other. 

Kayla sat down in the chair beside her bed; she'd grown very fond of Faith. She was young, sweet…but lively and stubborn. She was most certainly a Brady. "We're all working very hard to find enough matches for you. Both your parents are matches, so we'll need about 3 more, and maybe a backup incase one fails, and then we're home-free" 

Faith simply nodded; she wasn't any more hopeful than the rest of the family. She looked down as her aunt took hold of her hand, and smiled. "If…" Faith began. 

"No ifs" Kayla smiled; optimistic, they had to be optimistic. Faith shook her head and smiled. 

"Ye know as well as mi that there isn't much hope. If I don't make it, I want ye to make sure mi parents get to meet mi kids." It was the only thing she'd requested; other than blood, of course. 

Kayla simply nodded; of course she would oblige, how could she not? "Lets hope you get to introduce your kids to your parents" 

Faith nodded, tears now threatening the very life of her strength. The thought of leaving her kids pushed itself to the front of her mind so quickly her body shook with fright. As if instinct set in, Kayla set her hand on her shoulder and looked into her niece's eyes. 

"You will not die. I will not let you," She said, making a promise she couldn't possibly keep. But the promise seemed to ease the young woman, and the shivering stopped almost as quickly as it had begun. "What are the twins' names?" Kayla asked, quickly switching the mood. 

"Conor Matthew and Cara Aislinn" Faith replied as a smile spread across her face. 

"Those are pretty names," Kayla smiled; they were heavily Irish names. 

"I have pictures in mi wallet," Faith invited her to see the pictures; she'd be the first in the Brady clan to catch a glimpse of the mysterious twins of the long lost Brady. 

Kayla smiled; they reminded her of Faith when she was a toddler. They even reminded her a little of Stephanie, a little of Bo, a little of herself… they reminded her of everyone because, in a way, they were a part of everyone. 

Lexie stepped into the room; she could see they'd been sharing a moment and didn't want to interrupt them, but with news this great, how could she wait until morning? She cleared her throat, and both women turned their attention to her quickly. 

"Well, I have good news," She smiled wide and handed a clipboard full of information to Kayla. "We have found you the rest of the matches that you need." 

Faith sat up, slowly but quickly for a dying woman. "Who" She asked simply; she needed to know the names of the donors. 

"Well we don't usually give out the names of donors before we talk to them in case something happens and they change their minds" 

"No one in our family is going to change their mind," Kayla assured Lexie, looking down at her niece. Lexie nodded and looked back down at the charts. 

"Shawn, Chelsea, and Roman" 

"All siblings; I knew it!" Kayla bit her lip in excitement, as she usually did when one of her hunches was proven correct. 

---

It was the first night in two weeks that Faith had slept soundly, without worrying about death. The sun switched places with the moon around 7 am, and Faith awoke to find her mother there, tears in her eyes. 

"What's wrong?" She whispered, squeezing Hope's hand gently. 

"We're just so happy. Happy and scared all at the same time" She smiled. 

Faith nodded. "I know what ye mean." Her head lifted ever so slightly at Bo entered the room with Kayla, ushering Hope away. It was time for the two to give blood; Shawn, Chelsea, and Roman were already hooked up the machines, giving blood and plasma. 

"We'll be back," Hope promised more than anything, kissing her daughter on the head, before leaving to join her other children in the donor's lab. 

---

"How do you feel?" Lexie tugged gently on the bag of blood hanging from Faith's IV poll; she had to be completely sure that it was free of flaws and kinks and everything was fusing properly. 

"A little bit nauseous," Faith replied, looking tirelessly at the pack of crackers sitting on the bedside table hovering over her. 

"Try eating a little bit, and sipping on some water," Lexie suggested, opening a package of crackers for her.

"I can't; it will only upset mi stomach more." Faith gently rested her head among the pillow on her bed. 

"What's going on?" Bo yawned and sat up in the chair beside her bed. "Is everything okay?" 

"Everything looks good." Lexie smiled as she watched the last few drops of blood from the transfusion finally enter her body. "Vitals are stable; body doesn't seem to be rejecting anything…." 

"So that means it worked?" Hope lifted her head off the chair, wiping her eyes free from sleep residue. 

"So far…Yes." Lexie smiled wide, thankful to be the bearer of good news, finally. 


	6. Introductions

_Disclaimer: So, I don't own Days, but then, you already knew that, didn't you? _

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews on both stories guys! Reviews3. Ha-ha. _

"Welcome Home, Claire!" A big streamer hung loosely over the front door to Bo and Hope's family home. 

Faith pulled up in her rental car, double checking the address to make sure it was absolutely the right one; she didn't want to knock on the door to some stranger's house and say here's your kid. She looked at the mail box, searching for the numbers; when she didn't see any she looked around to see if anything else would give away whose house it really was. Catching sight of the streamer, she smiled and turned the car off. She made her way over to the back of the car, opening the doors swiftly and unfastening the little girl from her car seat. "Are you ready to see your mommy and daddy?" Faith smiled slightly and bounced Claire playfully on her hip. 

Claire smiled and nodded. "I can't wait." Her voice was soft and cute, and it reminded Faith of her own tender voice at that age. 

"Let's get you inside then," Faith ruffled the young girls hair, and in return Claire smoothed it back out; she had to look perfect for when she saw her mommy and daddy after her long 'vacation'. 

Belle, who had been watching out the window closest to the door, watched as the two pulled up and got out of the car. She could no longer contain her excitement and ran out the door, arms outstretched and ready to dislodge her daughter from her sister-in-law's grip. "Baby!" She shouted, smiling at Claire. 

"Hi mommy" Claire smiled and grasped her mother in a tight hug, being transferred from aunt to mother. 

"I've missed you!" Belle spun around, raveling in the simple existence of her daughter. 

Shawn walked out excitedly, holding Claire's teddy bear in his left hand. "I missed you!" He greeted her happily. 

"I missed you too, daddy" Claire replied in her hushed voice. 

Faith watched as the happy family made their way into the house. The Brady's greeted the child as if they hadn't seen her in centuries and Faith couldn't help but to smile at their closeness. Hope looked up, her smile never leaving her face, and made her way to her daughter. "Thank you" 

"For what?" Faith looked quizzically on at her mother. 

"For bringing her back… and for coming back," Hope placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder, looking around her passed her. 

"What are ye looking for?" Faith asked, furrowing her eyebrows. 

"The twins," Hope replied simply. "We all couldn't wait to meet them." 

"Ah." She said, sighing. "I'm sorry; the twins were so tired and cranky when we arrived that I just left them behind for this outing." 

"We?" Hope looked at her; had Colleen traveled from Ireland as well? 

Faith nodded. "Yes, Aunt Colleen and Mi." She told her. 

"Oh my gosh," Hope placed a tiny hand in front of her mouth in awe. "Has she"- 

"Seen Grandpa Shawn? Yes. The minute we got here." Faith nodded her head. "Yes it was a very touching reunion between sister and brother." She flung her hair back and away from her face, describing the reunion to Hope, and soon to anyone who joined in to listen. 

"Well then, I think I'll be on mi way back to the hotel. I'm a bit tired myself," she replied; it'd only been a couple months since the transfusion, and her body was still taking its time adjusting to the foreign blood. 

"Alright; we'll meet you at the pub around, say, 10?" Hope asked, looking from her daughter to her husband, and then returning her attention back to her daughter. There were no objections. 

---

The sun was warm and inviting, even at 10 a.m. in Salem. Faith dressed the twins in summer clothes; in Ireland they would still be bundled in jackets, pants, and possibly scarves. 

"Conor, eat yer breakfast," Faith sat him at the table next to his sister; the little bugger was just so energetic in the mornings. 

Caroline laughed. "He's a doll" 

"Ye want him?" Faith cocked an eyebrow up as if she were seriously considering the deal, which only made her laugh more. 

"I think he likes you better," Caroline smiled and dished more French toast and syrup on his plate. 

"Great," Faith groaned silently, "just what he needs, more sugar." She chuckled to herself and looked down at her daughter. The twins were so different; Cara wouldn't become playful usually until noon, but since they were in an odd place, she wouldn't leave her mother or Nona Colleen until she was certain these foreigners were good-hearted folks. 

"Its okay, sweetie" Faith kissed the top of her head, playing with her daughter's light curls. 

"Mommy," the child whimpered and Caroline smiled at her Irish accent. 

"What, Sweetie? Mommy's right here." Faith wrapped her arms around the child, assuring her she wouldn't be leaving her any time soon. 

Hope walked in, followed closely by Bo, who held Ciara tightly to him. She smiled and advanced quickly towards the twins; she knew exactly who they were- they looked just like their mother. 

"Well hello there" She smiled as Cara backed away. Conor, on the other hand, took after his grandpa Bo. He was warm, inviting…curious. He looked at her, then at his mom. 

"This is yer grandma Hope" Faith introduced, stroking Cara's back, convincing her to look up. 

"Hi there," Hope extended her hand to her grandchildren's which, in comparison, was much larger than theirs. 

"Hi!" Conor bounced, standing in his seat and taking in the sight of the strange new woman. 

"What's your name, little guy?" Hope chuckled at the boy. 

"Conor Matthew. That's my sister Cara Aislinn" He sure wasn't afraid of others; in fact, he spoke well for a child his age. 

Hope smiled at him. "Those are nice names," she told him. She looked down at Cara, who seemed to be attached at the hip with her mother. "You were that way when you were her age," Hope commented, gently ruffling the young child's hair as if to make peace with her. Cara looked up at Hope with big, ocean green eyes and smiled some. 

"Hi, little one. I'm your grandma Hope but you can just call me Gramma if you want to." 

"Gwamma," Cara replied, showing she understood. She wasn't as well spoken as her brother, but then, she was shyer than he was outgoing. 

Bo walked up and put his free hands around Hope's shoulders. "I'm your grandpa Bo," he beamed proudly, looking from the twins to his daughter; they resembled her in every aspect but the eyes. She had Hope's chocolate brown eyes, and they had their Aunt Colleen's large, ocean green ones. 

"Alotta people" Cara whispered to her mother. 

Faith chuckled and bounced her daughter on her knee. "Ye haven't met the lot yet" 

Cara's eyes widened. "More?" She said, astonished; she reminded Bo of an adult with the way she carried herself. 

Faith nodded. "Don't worry yerself. They're all very nice" 

"They better be" Cara growled slightly under her breath. How could her mother make her meet all these people, and at once, too? 

---

Faith watched curiously as she watched the interaction between her twins and her Uncle Steve; the patch set him apart from the other family members the twins had met and she hoped that wouldn't frighten them, or urge them to say something that could potentially hurt his feelings. 

"Mommy," Cara leaned in, whispering to her mother, "he only gots one eye" She was astonished by the eye patch, and wondered where the second eye was hiding. Never before had she seen anyone with just one eye; sure, maybe someone here and there with one leg, or one arm, but never with one arm. 

"I'll tell him!" Conor chimed, bouncing up to Steve's level. 

"Conor Matthew" Faith retorted, shaking her head no at him. She hoped he'd drop the subject. 

"Whoops…" he slid back down into his seat, taking the hint plain as day from his mother. 

"What your name?" Conor asked, looking at Steve. 

"Well I'm your Uncle Patch Man," Steve opened his arms and the young boy jumped in; he was a child magnet, even in his younger years. 

"I'm Conor," The boy replied, looking around the room. Kayla smiled, watching the scene unfold. She loved her husband with children; he was just so good with them. 

"Wanna go play a game?" Conor took to the man quickly and easily, as he had with the other family members. 

"Yeah, Steve, you wanna?" Bo quipped, teasing Steve. 

"Sure little dude. Do you know how to play pool?" 

Conor nodded. "Duh," he rolled his eyes; didn't EVERYONE know how to swim?


End file.
